Hoops Blog with Jordan Green

April 30, 2012

|

Courtesy: Texas A&M Athletics

(photo: Texas A&M Athletics)

Sophomore Jordan Green will provide fans with an inside look at the Aggie basketball program this season. Check back here often and follow @AggieMensHoops on Twitter for updates when Jordan posts a new blog.

Monday, April 1

It's been a while since I last blogged. This is sort of like a farewell blog as we wrap up our season. The first season in the SEC has been a great experience. There have been lots of ups and downs throughout the year but it was an incredible journey. There are so many funny stories and memories made throughout the season that make it all worthwhile.

I am going to miss our senior managers because I have befriended them ever since I got on campus. Those guys have done a heck of a job helping us out in every possible way. They do so many things behind the scenes. Hunter, Will and Cody have such a bright future in store for them because those guys have what it takes.

Our senior players have had awesome careers here at A&M. Jarod, Ray and Elston were the backbone to our team, providing energy and experience in every practice and game. Those guys will truly be missed. Elston and I are good friends and I've had such a good time watching that guy score the basketball this year. Ray has been an emotional leader for us, giving us four years of experience out there on the court. Ray has a big heart and is a great teammate off the court. Jarod is one of my best friends on the team. His senior year experience has been well-deserved. He worked hard throughout his career here, doing whatever the coaches asked him to do. He has been a loyal friend and a big brother figure to me. I am going to miss those guys next year!

Monday, January 14

Howdy!

Wow! What an exhilarating month it has been for our team! Two great SEC wins to kick off conference play. What a great performance by Elston Turner vs. Kentucky - best performance I've seen in person by a single player. My guy, ET, really did his thing! To leave Rupp Arena with a "W" was a great feeling. We had no doubt in our mind that we could win that game from the beginning.

The identity of our team is found in the effort and energy we bring to the court. It is definitely noticeable from game to game how those two factors affect the outcome of the game. When all members of our team are focusing on effort and energy from the get-go, all the other things fall into place. Coach Kennedy preaches and teaches that everyday!

As a team this year we are sticking together through everything. We go to a lot of places as a team and our team chemistry is night and day from the beginning of the year. We like to hang out as a team going to movies or out to eat. On the court, we are all getting a better understanding of our roles and how to operate as a unit.

Gotta give a shootout to our seniors for a moment! Ray, Jarod and Elston are all really stepping up to the call of duty and leading this team. As those three players go, we all go. I love playing with those three guys and they deserve all that is going for them.

Looking ahead to Thursday we get a chance to play a very talented Florida team. With the Reed Rowdies and the 12th Man on our side, the team cannot wait to compete in front of our fans!

Until next time,

-Gig Em'

Jordan Green

Tuesday, December 11

Man, it feels good to be done with finals! It's been a long time since I've written a blog. I apologize for the delay! It has been a pretty hectic start of the season with my classes and such. A lot has been going on.

I have to give it up to the football team! Wow! Such great accomplishments. They truly have set the bar high for how other sports at A&M are expected to compete in the SEC. Their success has been great exposure for our university. I'm a huge fan of how Coach Sumlin runs the team.

Back to basketball. Our team has been working through a lot of growing pains early on because of all of our new guys. Both the players and coaches have great hopes for our year. We know that we can improve in all aspects of the game. This year's team gets along well with each other and I personally think it's because we all live together. It is always easier to improve as a team when you have good chemistry. Like every team, we have our moments where we're not as cohesive but I believe collectively we all are striving for one goal and that is to get back to the NCAA tournament.

One of the games to help our resume was the game at the University of Houston, which was our first true road game. That game was a homecoming party for our seniors. It was a great atmosphere too as Houston's fans were loud the whole game. At the same time we had some great support there as well and we were excited to break out the new black uniforms for our fans there. We were so excited to wear those. I am a believer in the famous Deion Sanders saying, "you look good, you play good." We jumped out on Houston early and finished them off in the second half by defending our lead. Everyone contributed that game. It was one of the best team wins I've been a part of since I've been at A&M.

Looking ahead at our next opponent, OU, they are certainly familiar faces for us. It should be a high intensity game full of big time plays. OU is going to come ready because we ended their season last year, but we hve that NCAA tourney goal in our minds and we know that we have to get quality winslike this to solidify our chances of dancing in March.

As the week approaches we will be taking care of our final exams and preparing for OU, definitely a hard thing to balance at times but it was wesigned up for. We live for the challenge.

Until next time!

- Jordan Green Gig Em'

Wednesday, November 7

Howdy Basketball Fans,

Well, the season is finally here! The intensity of everything has risen; academics, practice and taking care of yourself. As a student-athlete, while in season, your time management is very important. You are on another level of business and to perform at your optimal rate you must take all aspects of your life seriously.

As a team we have been practicing hard and trying to improve day in and day out. We are all pretty tired and beat up, but so is everyone else in the country. Our coaches try to get the best out of us everyday. They also do a great job of preparing us for each upcoming opponent. It's just not always easy, but anything in life worth having doesn't come easy. So we're going to continue to grind so we can achieve our goals.

Lastly, I want to thank all of those who came to our exhibition game against Incarnate Word. It felt amazing to run out of that tunnel again and play in front of such a great crowd. Although we didn't play up to our own standards, Incarnate Word played a heck of a game. We learned a lot through the film and are eager to play our next game. Most of the core of our team is new, so it won't click just yet because it is November but I'm optimistic about our team's future. I love the passion of our team! As we go out and face a talented Louisiana Tech team on Friday we should be more polished and ready to go. Hope to see you there!

-Thanks and Gig em'

Jordan

Thursday, October 4

Howdy!

Jordan Green here! A lot has happened since I last blogged. The first topic I want to discuss is how our team is coming along this pre-season. We are growing closer as a team every day. The workouts that our strength coach, Darby Rich, has us going through requires us to rely on each other. The pre-season workouts push us physically, but also mentally. I'm really loving every second of training with this team. Our leaders are leading and the other guys are following their lead.

Off the court, the first round of tests were difficult but the help and assistance we receive at the Nye Academic Center always prepares our squad for whatever a class can throw at us. Our team is so grateful to have the incredible academic support that we have.

I recently saw the movie "Looper" starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Bruce Willis. It was good, but threw me off guard. I was not expecting the movie to be how it was. It reminds me of "Inception." Also, most of the guys on our team are very excited about the release of NBA 2k13. We all love playing it and competing against each other on our down time.

Next week, we start official practice. I am really looking forward to it because that means we are a step closer to playing games. A number of the basketball greats are quoted as saying that they love the preparation for a game and the journey they take before the season. As we grind through our pre-season practices, my teammates and I will try to value every minute of the preparation.

Until next time,

Jordan Green

Gig 'Em

Monday, September 17

Howdy!

School is in full swing and so is my busy schedule. The life of a student-athlete isn't always the most enjoyable one but at the end of the day I wouldn't want to be doing anything else! After all, we signed up for this life. There are less than 50 days until the basketball season and our team is working hard in preparation. This time around, being a sophomore, I feel a lot more comfortable with the basketball side of everything.

Our three seniors are the backbone and key to our team. Starting with one of my closest friends on the team, Jarod Jahns. Jarod rightly deserved and earned a scholarship last year. He takes the leadership role that was placed upon him very seriously. There is no one on our team that loves A&M more than him - maybe Caruso! Our nickname for Jarod is Uncle Jerry and that nickname definitely fits his role on our team to a tee. He's got everyone's back!

My guy Elston Turner! There's tons that I could say about Elston, but I'll start with that he can flat out ball. He is definitely a guy I love guarding because he has everything in his arsenal. He can do it all. He is a coach's son so he knows the in's and outs of the game. Off the court he is an easy-going guy and he is funny. Believe it or not he raps and is good too! He loves his video games as well! I'm expecting a huge year from ET. We go as he goes.

Lastly, Ray Turner. He is one of the funniest guys I've been around. Ray is a good guy as well, he is nice to everyone and really easy to get along with. On the court though, Ray is a beast. You do not want to be caught underneath or even inside the paint when he rolls off a screen or receives a dump off pass. He will dunk it and dunk it HARD! Ray has been working really hard this off-season to help our team do the best we can. He has sharpened his game up and developed more fluid post moves.

I love our seniors and they are all good friends of mine. We want to give these seniors a proper exit.

My roommates this year are Daniel Alexander, Antwan Space and Shawn Smith. Our living situation is pretty cool. We keep it fairly neat in our house for a group of student-athletes. My teammates and I love relaxing and just spending time with each other cracking jokes, talking life and listening to new music. Everyone on this team is cool with each other and we all get along. We were all together at the first Texas A&M SEC football game. What a great experience that was! For a couple of our guys it was their first A&M football game and even Division I football game. That game was big time too! Unfortunately, we lost but there were a lot of positive things to take from the game. I always find it cool to watch football games because I know a lot of the players out there and to see them do what they love and to see them play with so much passion is intriguing to me. Hopefully those guys will come out to support us too. I can't wait for our season! I'm getting excited just writing about it! Ok until next time.

-Gig' Em

Jordan Green

Friday, August 31

The time at home was good for me. I got to spend time with my family and my friends, and I also got to workout with the people I worked out with in high school. It is always a good experience when I go home because I get to eat my mother's breakfast! My favorite meal of the day is breakfast. My mom makes the best breakfast there is. Lastly, getting a chance to have quality time with my best friend, CJ, talking life and dreaming about the future is always awesome.

With the start of another school year it feels like some sort of deja vu. I remember taking the team pictures, figuring out where my classes are and worrying about pre-season conditioning from last year and now I have come full circle. This time around I really look forward to practicing day in and day out with a completely different group of guys. I love practices because they make you more mentally tough. While going through it I hate practice, but when you look back on all the battles and memories it makes you appreciate it. Also, I am looking forward to facing new opponents with my newfound experience.

Let me take some time to write about our coaches! Alright, let me start with the head man! Coach Kennedy is calm, cool and collected. I am really looking forward to see what Coach does with a new mixture of his guys this time. He doesn't usually say much, but when he says something it is really important. He is all about doing the right thing and keeping the main thing the main thing and I love it. Also, he is deceptively funny!

Coach Cyprien is a great coach as well. He is one of the funniest coaches I have ever been around. He knows when to be serious and when to make us laugh. He is also a great motivator.

Coach Keller is also a great motivator. He is great with his words. He knows how to push our buttons in the right way to get us to play our best. He seems to always be in a good mood.

Coach Reese is definitely one of the coolest coaches I've ever been around. He is very knowledgable about the game as well. He played back in the day so he still tries to get out there and shoot some jump shots with us.

Coach Cole helped convince me and Daniel Alexander to go on the China trip this summer. He also knows the game of basketball from top to bottom. I try to ask him questions about the game all the time.

Coach Davis is like the godfather of the program. He demands respect from everyone because he has seen and done it all. I really got to know Coach Davis before I came to the university when I was deciding on a jersey number. He told me stories about the late great Mario Brown - the reason why I wear 13! Also, when he has something to say it is packed with wisdom.

Coach Gentry does so much for the program. He keeps everything in line, just how Coach Kennedy wants it. He is also a master at film and studying basketball and I go in to speak with him about basketball as much as I can. He has a large amount of wisdom. He knows that I love watching basketball so he challenged me this summer to fill up a journal full of notes, ideas and thoughts about the things I watch and I am close to half-way filling it up.

Coach Darby is a guy who commands respect every time he walks in the room. Us as players all know he is going to push us to our limits and then some. He is second to none at what he does. He also played and coached so he has a perspective on every level. He knows how to get us going with his words as well. It rarely happens but when he cracks a smile everyone on the team knows we have worked our hardest.

I have to give a shout out to someone who rarely gets the publicity, but our athletic trainer Matt Doles is the man. He really does a great job of taking good care of us. He is also a Batman fan, like me, so we have some good conversations.

Even though he is not a "coach", Peter Warden has had a big impact on me from his words of encouragement and advice. He is a funny guy and always has something funny to say.

In conclusion, I think our staff here at A&M is great! They all are an intricate part to our success as a program. I am very excited going into my second year with this group of guys as our leaders!

Until next time… -JG Gig em'

Tuesday, August 7

Howdy!

This will be my last blog entry of the summer but we will get it back going in late August when I return to College Station for classes. I would like to say that I really enjoyed writing to the fans of Texas A&M Men's Basketball and giving an inside look into not only my life but into the basketball program. Since my last blog, I have continued to work out in the weight room and on the court. I have had personal bests in the weight room and I am getting more confident on the court. As for our team, we finished our summer workouts with a tough weight circuit at 6:30 AM last Friday. Everyone pushed through pain and fatigue to conclude our workouts for the summer the proper way. In the classroom I finished out with an A in my history class. Although I am very pleased with my progress, I will not ease up on my training one bit. When I head home I will be training with one of my best friends, Austin Chatman, who is the starting point guard at Creighton. I hope to continue on the right path to help make this upcoming basketball season a successful one for our program. I love Texas A&M University so much. It is truly a privilege to be a student-athlete here!

Gig Em' -Jordan Green

Tuesday, July 24

Howdy!!

Jordan Green here once again! Since I have been back enrolled in school, I finally had the chance to get to know my new teammates on and off the court. We are currently working hard in the weight room and on our individual games. Personally, I feel that I have made great strides in the weight room and on the court.

I am very encouraged by the coaches' recruiting skills. They have brought in some really good players. Excited isn't the word to describe how I feel about playing with these guys in the SEC this year.

I will start with one of our new point guards, Fabyon Harris. He definitely brings a great level of athleticism, speed and toughness to our team. What you guys might not know about him is that he owns the most hats I have ever seen. How Dash was with his shoes, Fabyon is with hats. He is also a very cool guy and all of us love playing with him because he is a winner.

Incoming freshman J'Mychal Reese--I've already known him for a while now. We competed against each other in high school. I am a big fan of his game not only because he is a lefty but because he is a smooth and an intelligent player. He plays with a certain swagger that rubs off onto who ever he plays with. He is also a very funny guy!

Another incoming freshman we have is Shawn Smith. I am glad he picked us instead of Missouri because I would hate to have to play against him in the SEC. Lucky for us he brings another level of toughness and shooting ability to our team. He has a lot of potential to have a huge impact on our team this year. Off the court I will be rooming with him this year and I look forward to it, he is a down-to-earth guy.

Another freshman, Alex Caruso, is a heady player and is sneaky athletic. He has had some of the nicest dunks on the team. I never knew Alex until now, but he and I get along very well. He is a cool guy who has been around the A&M program for quite some time.

Our last freshman is a guy you guys might not have heard of, from Houston, Texas, Kyle Dobbins. He has surprised all of us by his game. He is a very confident ball handler and is fearless going to the hoop. Kyle is really cool and always brightens up a room.

One of our transfers, Andrew Young, is a tenacious basketball player, he brings a hard nose approach to our team. Off the court he is a completely different guy. He is friendly and easy to get along with and he has some really cool tattoos. He should be a nice addition to our posts.

Lastly, my Dallas guy, a transfer from Florida State, Antwan Space. He is a very talented player. He uses his 6'8", 230-pound frame to body with the bigs but is quick enough to play with the guards. I battled against him in high school all the time. He is a big clown. He jokes around with everyone on the team. Needless to say I think we have a very strong recruiting class this year. I am excited to get to go into battle with these guys. We have been working hard to give our fans a show this year.

Gig' Em

Jordan Green

Thursday, July 5

Howdy!

Even though I do miss China and the group of people I went with, it feels incredibly good to be back in the States. While in China, I really enjoyed the culture. If there were a couple of things I had to take from China back to the United States, it would have to be the price of their electronics and this amazing green apple soda that was over there. (I even saved a bottle of the soda it was so delicious) Also, I would love to bring back the passion for basketball that the Chinese have over to the States. There are more people that play basketball in China then watch basketball in the United States. Quite frankly, I wouldn't want to live anywhere else in the world. When you get back to the States after you take a trip abroad you definitely grow a newfound respect for the USA. With July 4th coming up, I sure will have a better outlook on the importance of that holiday.

These past couple weeks I have been back in College Station, taking classes and working to get better with my teammates on the court and in the weight room. My goals for the month of July are pretty simple: shoot 12,000 shots, gain 5 pounds, earn an A in my History class and the last one would be to watch the movie The Dark Knight Rises at least 3 times. I am a huge Batman fan! Many of my friends will be seeing that at the midnight showing on the 20th of July. But in all seriousness, our team is working to change the culture of the program. We will be working harder in the classroom, getting in the gym more often and representing our University and basketball program in an upstanding manner. We all are very excited to join the SEC and have already made team goals for the year.

Lastly, I want to give a quick shout out to my old teammate Khris Middleton. His dream came true this past week and I am so proud to call him a friend. He worked very hard on his game in the off season to obtain that honor. He passed down tons of knowledge to me, whether it was leading by example or sitting me down and talking to me. I will be looking forward to seeing him in that Pistons jersey. He deserves every bit of it.

Until next time!

-Gig Em'

Friday, June 22

Howdy there!!

Greetings from China. Off the top, I can't speak for Daniel, but so far this has been the best trip I have ever taken. Being the youngest guy on the team I have had an awesome time learning from veteran guards from other D-1 schools and professional teams. Our assistants take time and help me learn the game from a coaches stand point to help increase my IQ. I do miss my teammates back in CS though, but the teammates that I have on this team are unique because we all have many things in common. We jelled on the court from the get go. Everyone is fueled by a common goal.

We went to the Far East after spending a week in the middle of nowhere in New York. The nearest McDonalds was an hour away. Being there really helped our team grow closer on and off the court. It is interesting to realize that there are other guys around the country going through the same things you are. I definitely learned a ton of good things to bring back to College Station.

Since being here in Beijing, I have already developed a better view of the world we live in. The culture itself is day and night to what I am used to back in the US. The people here are simple and diverse at the same time in that they take pride in who they are as a people and follow the rules of the government completely. I have realized that I take many things for granted such as free time or freedom of speech. We have interacted with many Chinese since we've been here and they have all taught me things, from a few Mandarin words to humbling me with their simple kindness. The area is amazing as well, with high rise towers or small town huts. The diversity is eye opening that there really is a whole other world existing and functioning that we as Americans sometimes can forget about.

Once we started playing games we didn't have many breaks, we played 5 games. We played two CBA teams. Lioneng Jaguars three times in a row and Chingdoa Eagles twice. What was unique about the basketball in China was that no matter where we traveled in the different parts of China, playing the love for basketball did not change. Almost every game was sold out and the fans were great. My teammates and I were handing out training cards, signing autographs and taking pictures for about 20 minutes after every game. Even though there was a language barrier between us and the fans, basketball spoke a universal language. I learned even more from my teammates during the games in China. From positioning on defense, reading screens on offense to learning how to be a great teammate and leader. With not much time to prepare for the teams we played, I learned how to adapt to my opponents as the game went on. Which I feel will be useful in the upcoming season. Our team finished 4-1, losing to Lioneng by 3 points.

We got to visit many places as well. We visited The Great Wall, The Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square, The Underground Markets. We took the speed train a couple of times and even flew domestically to another part of China. We visited factories and car dealerships because of promotional things for our games as well.

Experiencing a different culture, eating exotic foods, playing in unique gyms, traveling around a foreign country, staying in 8 hotels and sharing each others life experiences brought this team very close. I have made life-long friends, better yet brothers on this journey. I want to personally thank all who was involved with making this happen for me.

Monday, May 21

Howdy!

During our short time off I have been doing many different things to keep myself busy. Most people get bored during the summer, but for me just resting keeps me satisfied. I have been watching a lot of basketball. I am trying to learn the mental aspect of the game and increase my basketball IQ. I try to work out twice a day. One lift session and one on the court session. I workout with my best friend who is a brother to me, Cj, He comes with me and lifts weights, rebounds for me and always keeps me motivated. He has been there for me ever since I have moved to Texas from Michigan in seventh grade. I know he will be there for me because he was with me when I had nothing going for me. I also, play pickup with guys from my hometown who play at their respected schools. Playing with the guys I grew up with is always fun because our competitive nature.

What I like most about being home is being with the people I love. My family means a lot to me. My Mother and Father are the biggest influences in my life and keep me upbeat and positive at all times. My sister and brother-in-law are some of the wisest people I know and I try to pick their brains whenever I can, just about life and religion. Seeing my one year old niece brings me so much joy as well. Hanging with my boys is always relaxing and fun because they know you very well and you can share college stories with each other. Lastly, being with my girlfriend on a daily basis has been very good. She is one of my best friends and we always keep each other laughing whenever we hang out together. Being around my people is very therapeutic in a way.

I finished out the year on a good note, I finished out the year with a good grade point average. For now I am just enjoying the summer while I can. I am very much focused on next year and our team. I am still looking forward to my trip to East Asia with Daniel Alexander. Your thoughts and prayers will be appreciated.

Jordan Green Signing out until next time!

-Gig' Em.

Tuesday, May 8

This will be my last blog before I head home for a couple of weeks. Typing this blog brings to mind a year of learning and personal growth. Many people have told me that you learn a lot about yourself in college but at the time I paid them no attention. After this year I have learned things about myself that went unnoticed living under my parents' roof. My first year of college has been one of the best years of my life.

What made my first year of college so unforgettable was how the seniors treated me. I knew Alex Baird for a while, before I even was being looked at by any D-1 schools, he had been a friend of mine through basketball and nothing had changed this year. He was always pushing me and other guards in practice to go our hardest because he would give it his all every time and he is incredibly funny! Dash was an awesome teacher for me throughout the whole year. He taught me a lot of lessons and tricks I will take with me for the remainder of my playing career. Also, the dude has an awesome sense of style, which I envied very much. Dash is an overall great guy and I definitely looked up to him in many ways throughout the whole season. Zach might be the funniest guy I know. Zach is a really cool guy and he brought his experience and shooting touch to the team every day. Zach played the same position as me, so I looked at him for advice on how to do things in practice many times. Zach demanded respect from everyone on the team because of his strength but at the same time he had the team laughing at every team event. David Loubeau. That guy had so many nicknames I lost count. He is one of the best players I have ever played with. Dave had the best hands for a post I'd ever seen in person. What I learned from Dave was how to lead by example. He never said much but his game spoke volumes. But when Dave did talk, everyone would listen and followed suit.

With Khris leaving I gotta give him a big shootout as well. Khris was huge for me this year in ways I wish he wasn't and was. Unfortunately with him going down, it gave me a chance to gain some experience in the first half of the season. Khris mentored me throughout the whole year and was there for me when I needed him to be. Khris would abuse me in practice everyday though. I would like to think that we would go at it, but it was mostly like, him going at me because my offensive game was not as advanced as it needed to be. So it forced me to take pride in my defensive game, so I would take it personal whenever he or anyone would score on me. Me going hard at him everyday would make him ready for the games because he was going to face the other team's best defender, so I took guarding him in practice very seriously. But he definitely had the upper hand on me on most days, what can I say, The Kid Was Nice.

Lastly, I want to give a shout out to our senior manager Justin. His pride and passion for the team was second to none. Not only being one of the coolest guys, he was also very supportive of every guy on the team. Justin would be the first to volunteer to help any player out on anything he had trouble with. Justin was the real go to man this year.

After talking about the guys who are departing the program, I want to talk about my excitement for our upcoming team. I believe we are going to be a more up-tempo team next year because of a couple factors. First off, our overall agility and speed is being improved by working with our strength and conditioning coach. Secondly, I believe after having a year under our belt with Coach Kennedy's system we will have a better feel for how he wants us to play, which will make our team more comfortable out on the court. In result, we'll be able to kick the tempo up a to a whole different level. With the addition of Fabyon, J'Mych, Shawn and Alex, our guards' speed will substantially increase. Our posts will have a new look with Andrew. From what I've heard, Andrew is a tough-nosed, skilled player in the post. I've know Antwan for a while now and I know he is going to help us out a lot. He is a skilled 3 man with incredible length, I personally love his game. In my opinion our team is shaping up nicely, were going to look different but we will be good.

My team in the playoffs is the Oklahoma City Thunder! I have been following them all season long. In particular, I study James Harden and Russell Westbrook very intently. I really like the tempo that Harden plays at, he always seems to be under control. His moves are very crafty and his handle is very strong. What I like most about his game is his simplicity. He takes open shots and makes the game look easy. With Russell, contrary to what a lot of people think about Russell, I love his game. The way he approaches the game intrigues me because he seems to play with a chip on his shoulder and always seems to play like he has something to prove. I love his explosiveness and his hard play. I really take the time to look at the angles he uses to get to the basket amongst the trees in the NBA because he and I have similar body type. Kevin Durant is also Very Good. He's my vote for MVP. Thunder Up!!

Monday, April 30

Howdy!

Here goes round two!

Finals week is coming up next week and that is what I am really focusing on now that spring offseason is finished. After five weeks of fighting sleep to get up for 6 a.m. workouts and tough game-like individual workouts, I can definitely see that everyone has improved on their game! Our posts, Keith, Ray, Kourtney and Grant, have all improved on their low-post moves and overall skills. Keith's jump hook is causing serious problems for anyone who guards him. Ray is stretching his game by shooting three's and driving to the basket like a 3-man. Kourtney's 15-footer is very pretty and is raising his play. Grant is stealing and perfecting moves from Dave Loubeau! Our guards are improving just as much! I love working out with Blake, Elston, Daniel and Jarod because they are very competitive and good shooters. We push each other and compete to get the highest percentage every workout. Every workout is intense and requires a high amount of focus. The coaches have done a fantastic job of shaping our individual workouts to focus on our overall game and drills specifically based off of our offensive sets. With our incoming signees next year, our team is going to look very different from last year. The mindset and culture of our program is changing in a major way.

This summer I will be traveling with my friend/teammate Daniel Alexander to East Asia to play with other high-major players around the country and against a variety of pro teams. The trip will allow us to get to know other players around the country, learn how other players look at the game and to get to know some ballers from that part of the world. I am looking forward to this trip because historical things intrigue me. Before I go overseas, I will be spending my time at home in Flower Mound, Texas. Spending time hanging out with my friends, Cj, Kevin, Luke and Jeremy. Also, my girlfriend and I have a lot of fun dates planned! We don't get to see each other much because she plays soccer at the University of Central Arkansas. She understands the busy schedule that comes with being a student-athlete and was there for me throughout the whole year, so if you're reading this Alex, thank you for sticking with me! Going back home always means getting in weekly workouts with my old AAU coaches. I workout with my closes basketball friends who all play at D-1 schools, so it is intense and my AAU coaches push us to the our limit and then some.

This week Athletes In Action held an event where I was given an amazing opportunity to hangout and play some basketball with kids. Daniel, Jarod, Kourtney and Coach Gentry came out to help promote the Gospel and fellowship with kids as well. I had a blast with the kids. The kids gave me so much energy and got me thinking about when I was their age. Most of the kids were in middle school. When I was in middle school, my mind was on Batman and my big dream of playing college basketball. To hear them say to me that they want to play basketball at the level I am at allowed me to realize that anything is possible with God. I was once their height and their age innocently dreaming about basketball. It made me realize that I cannot, for one second, take this God-given opportunity for granted because this is what I worked for since I was their age.

A big part of my workouts is the music I listen to. Daniel Alexander and I go to the gym almost every night to work extra on our game and we like to listen to a wide range of music. Daniel enjoys listening to Owl City, Future Island and Notorious Big. Some of the music I like to blast in the speakers at the gym late at night is Princeton's "Excuse The Explicitness" mixtape, Trip Lee's "The Good Life" and surprisingly I enjoy listening to Adele while I work out as well. She sings with tons of passion and her beats get stuck in your head.

Lastly, I know a lot of people wonder why my twitter name has the number's "116" in them. 116 is a movement created by Reach Records, which is one of my favorite recording labels. It stands for Romans 1:16. "For I am not ashamed of the gospel for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes." It is a movement that calls for no shame in proclaiming and living out the life that God has called Christians to live in the Bible. So, whereever I go, even when I am on the court, I try to do it unto the glory of God.

Thursday, April 19

Howdy!

As they like to say on campus around here ... to be honest I've only said it a couple of times since I've been here, but thats what makes A&M such a great school, its rich tradition. My biggest thing is being known for just being me, Jordan Green. Not the basketball player, but just an easy-going dude. In my classes I try to make friendships and develop relationship outside of basketball for balance in my life. This first year for me has been a roller coaster, so many up and downs, mental and physical battles and non stop work on and off the court.

The biggest adjustment i've had to make this year was the mental aspect of the game. The day in, day out grind of college basketball. It requires a certain amount of mental toughness, that sometimes, freshmen aren't accustomed to. I would have to say mental toughness because mentally you get stretched and tested in every aspect of college. I sometimes had multiple tests on the day of a game. If there is one thing that I take away from this year is the amount of mental toughness that I have gained from experiencing a full basketball season.

As our squad changes conferences to the SEC, we have been preparing ourselves for a more up-tempo type of game and all around more athletic conference in our off-season workouts. Our weight coach does a fantastic job of getting us more physically strong and mental strong because he played and coached basketball so all of his lifts are inspired by specific basketball movements. The team has been working hard on becoming more athletic by doing tons of plyometric and footwork drills. Our off-season program at Texas A&M probably is not as different from a lot of other programs around the country because you are only allowed a certain to do things but we our main focus is going hard and doing everything game speed during our workouts.

A typical day for me is quite a busy one. A Monday for me would have to start at around 5:15 a.m., waking up to go workout at 6 a.m. with the team. After that I come home and relax and eat breakfast before my three classes for the day. My first one class, Anthropology starts at 9:10 and my last one for the day ends at 1:30, so I'm around campus for a little bit. When my last class ends I get some lunch. Then we have workouts in the afternoon and I always try to stay 30-45 minutes after every workout to work more on my game. After that it's more time to yourself, you have study hall and you can get on top of your academics, then you can to get some dinner with your friends and chill. Usually my day ends at around 9. I end most of my days with something basketball-related, either going to the gym to shoot by myself or I watch film on my favorite players, Russell Westbrook, James Harden and Dwayne Wade.

I am really looking forward to next year's team because our returning players have one year with Coach Kennedy and his staff, so we know what to expect. Also, the players we have coming in are very good, our coaching staff does an awesome job of recruiting. Lastly, the teams we get to compete against is what I am looking forward to most, the reigning champs Kentucky and teams like Tennessee, Florida and Vanderbilt have some of the most unique arenas in the country. Our fans should enjoy this upcoming season because our team has been putting in good work in the weight room and on the court. I believe that our team will surprise some people next year. I get excited just thinking about it.